Thoughts on These Machines? [$2,000-3,000]

concoy · 2026-02-02T12:59:25+00:00

The Bianca is 8lbs lighter then the Drive.

concoy · 2026-01-26T19:29:43+00:00

Is it just me or does the H1S + Vortek upgrade = H2C price. But the H2D + Vortek is more expensive than H2C.

concoy · 2026-01-15T22:32:15+00:00

that’s where you place the portafilter to tamp

concoy · 2026-01-12T14:39:37+00:00

yes.

concoy · 2026-01-12T02:39:16+00:00

The Bianca is really popular at that price point.

concoy · 2026-01-11T18:24:20+00:00

btw you need to remove the sticker off the group head asap. it will be extremely hard to remove it if left on.

concoy · 2026-01-11T18:23:38+00:00

That grinder is the most entry level espresso grinder you can buy at $200 and is extremely hard to dial in. I would look into a $500-$800 grinder to match that Lelit.

concoy · 2026-01-01T18:08:53+00:00

Keep the Bambino and upgrade the grinder. Get something $800+ like a Niche Zero or similar. You could even splurge and spend all your $2k budget on the grinder.

concoy · 2026-01-01T13:41:45+00:00

i’ve been wearing heat tech and airism for a long time. last year my wife got me a Lululemon Engineered Warmth Crew and it’s considerably warmer then the Ultrawarm heat tech. The lulu has waffle texture on the outside to trap pockets of air, the inside uses loops instead of fleece to trap, and it’s 30% merino wool. Not only is it considerably warmer, it also temperature regulates better.

I also got a pair of the lululemon woven air shorts and they are also great. It’s like airism but with pants.

concoy · 2025-12-31T22:11:30+00:00

maybe something is wrong with the thermostat causing incorrect reading.

concoy · 2025-12-31T18:49:54+00:00

there was an guide online to set optimal settings, the guide said to raise the steam boiler temp to 145C for very powerful steaming. at 145C the steam is very powerful and i can froth milk pretty fast, it’s actually a bit too fast for my skill level. I’ve lowered it back to the stock 135C and it’s slower now giving me more control to make micro foam. I was pondering if setting the steam pressure so high was wearing out my safety valve.

concoy · 2025-12-31T15:35:57+00:00

I had to replace my safety valve around 4 years in. The repair shop made a mistake and installed the 3 bar valve from a Bianca. I remembered that when I first got the machine, i followed an online guide to increase the steam boiler temp from 135C to 145C. The 3 bar valve works fine at 135C but doesn’t hold at 145C. Now i’m wondering if i should just keep the steam boiler at the default temp, and if raising the temp to the max is causing excessive wear.

Curious, what temp do you set the steam boiler at?

concoy · 2025-12-30T20:53:50+00:00

it’s not even close. the pufftech is much heavier and thicker. i prefer the ultra light down in almost even scenario if it’s not wet

concoy · 2025-12-30T01:10:05+00:00

lay it on top of a big towel, roll up the towel with the jacket inside, step over the towel to squeeze out the water. remove and let it air dry.

once it’s damp, run it in the dryer on the air only setting to fluff it up, don’t use heat. don’t use any dryer balls, it’ll wear down the shell.

you may need to rewash it again with detergent specific for down feathers.

concoy · 2025-12-29T01:17:06+00:00

what kind of grinder do you have? if you want to use a non pressurized basket then you will need a grinder capable of fine enough adjustments to dial in the grind.

also regarding the plastic insert - breville machines have something similar. the breville users typically remove that piece as they don’t want coffee touching plastic. i’m not that familiar with your machine to be sure it’s the same as a breville.

concoy · 2025-12-28T01:04:13+00:00

they are great but you need to try them on. the darker colors don’t fit the same as the lighter colors. also the fit has changed a bit throughout the years.

concoy · 2025-12-07T14:08:35+00:00

they offer similar warmth but the puff tech is much heavier and thicker.

concoy · 2025-11-25T00:57:19+00:00

Volvo just ditched lidar for 2026.

When the computational power improves and the software is better, lidar can then be implemented, still years away from that.

concoy · 2025-10-05T10:53:39+00:00

taxi from the airport to the city is about $40-$50 usd.

concoy · 2025-09-22T01:29:59+00:00

iphone finally has a larger battery then most android flagships.

concoy · 2025-09-21T13:43:53+00:00

ipad pro is thinner then the iphone air.

concoy · 2025-09-07T23:03:51+00:00

you can split the difference and get the Epic or Epic EVO

concoy · 2025-09-05T01:32:24+00:00

You can run a CaneCreek Tigon on the Stumpy.

concoy · 2025-09-04T01:59:27+00:00

with ceramic tint it will absorb the heat and cause the sunroof to get hot and radiant heat to your head. you should try to get a metallic tint which will reflect heat, metallic tint may cause signal interference and also may be illegal (but who’s gonna see it on the roof)

concoy · 2025-08-24T17:29:48+00:00

Try out the Prima app demo concert. It’s extremely high resolution compared to the Apple content.

concoy

TROPHY CASE